When everyman Calder Boyd starts to lactate, the Manhattanite becomes a media cause célèbre nicknamed the Milkman and old and new problems spill forth. The son of a former star NBA player and a Norwegian artist, Calder copes with his strained marriage, losing his copywriting job at a boutique ad agency, a male-empowerment espousing mailman and a porn-star performance artist who wants to exploit him. He also deals with his late father's legacy and his wife's past indiscretion—all while breastfeeding their newborn daughter. Calder eventually becomes a pawn in the battle between a feminist organization and a militant men's society as he tries to become a better husband and man. The Fourth Estate, sex, art, love, memory, marriage and family converge during the snowiest winter on record in this commentary on contemporary American fatherhood.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kelvin C. Bias has written for the Los Angeles Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Washington Post and Sports Illustrated, where he has been a reporter since 1995. He graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Dept. of Dramatic Writing, with an M.F.A. in Screenwriting in 2000 and received his B.A. in political science from the University of Arizona in 1995. His independent short films and feature film Noctambulous (2011) have screened at festivals worldwide. You can watch his short films on his Vimeo channel: https://vimeo.com/channels/342802 For more information on Noctambulous, visit: www.noctambulous.com. His favorite authors include: Rod Serling, John Christopher, Madeline L'Engle, Arthur C. Clarke, J.D. Salinger, John Irving, J.R.R. Tolkien and Maya Angelou among many others. He considers La Jetee, Platoon, Trainspotting, Boomerang, Fletch, Alien, Vacation, L'Haine, Enter the Void and 8 1/2 among his favorite films. He lives in New York City with his wife and daughter. Please connect with him on Twitter and Instagram: @archivezero

Top customer reviews

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Calder is a lactating male. His wife, Maren (who I grew to hate because of her attitude and demands), couldn't produce enough milk to feed their newborn. After Calders secret is out, Maren shrinks her responsibility as a parent, forcing Calder to deal with the baby practically full-time. This intensifies when Calder loses his job. Calder becomes a minor celebrity, but he is unhappy with his marriage. Calder thinks a lot, which leads him to decide which way he should go with his marriage.

I liked the book ok, but the reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because, to me, it was confusing when the author did several flashbacks. The flashbacks came without warning, and I had to decipher if I was reading about the present, or the past. Also, I thought that some of the other characters in the book wasn't necessary to the plot; for example, the guy Calder meet in the bar who wanted his help to seduce two coeds. I just didn't get why they were relevant to the story.

I did like the fact that the book centered on breastfeeding, but the twist was that a male was the one who was doing it (breastfeeding was my choice for a capstone proposal in my Masters Degree program). That was refreshing and different.

This is an emotional story of a man, his dysfunctional marriage, the job he really doesn't like, his relationship with his parents, and his ability to breastfeed his baby. It isn't described as anything supernatural. It's a disease, a condition, that he develops. At first, he is embarrassed and tries to hide it, but as time passes, the bond he develops with his daughter and the overwhelming love he has for her are all that matters. We read all the time about mothers bonding with babies through breastfeeding. This has to be the first book in the world to describe a father doing so--and it is beautifully and eloquently described.

There is also a wonderful story about this man's relationship with his own father.

I liked this book immensely. It made me laugh at times and almost made me cry at times. The main character is complex, with his own dreams and hopes and faults. He feels things deeply. He wants to be a good husband, father, and provider and is successful for the most part. It all depends on your definition of "successful", which is also something the book asks. Is a person successful only as measured by society or only as measured by himself, or some combination thereof?

I would have rated this story five stars, except for two things: 1. There is confusion between the multiple time frames used in the book. This may be on purpose, but it didn't work for me. I like non-linear stories as long as I know where the story is at as I'm reading it. There were a couple times I was lost. 2. There are a lot of grammar issues and incorrect uses of words (woman vs. women; than vs. then; etc.). These were numerous and distracting.

Milkman is a very unique story. I have never heard of a lactating father, but I guess it is scientifically possible. However, this is not why I liked this book. It is about so much more than that, the main character's lactation is a conduit to a much more fulfilling story about love and forgiveness. I don't want to give anything away, but there are some very unique characters, and situations that arise as a result of the main character's condition. The more absurd parts of the story worked for me and didn't detract from what is at its core a family drama. Calder wants to repair his rocky marriage and be a better man, and is not perfect. Ultimately the novel shows that we are all flawed. There are also some beautiful snow scenes set in the never-ending winter that are fantastic imagery. I highly recommend this novel, and look forward to seeing more from this author.

I like the content of this story. There are plenty of twists and turns in the narrative that keeps it interesting. The writing style is seems somewhat repetitive at points, and there are minor grammatical errors that detract from a perfect score. A good read that explores a perspective on parenting that hasn't been seen before.

what a wonderful first novel. the descriptive language and vivid vocabulary made it all too real. the main character's thoughts and circumstances were always on my mind. kelvin was able to intertwine some strong philosophy within his story. the lactating male was believable and very interesting, but i especially enjoyed the side story--about life and what is important. i was glad to have a happy ending. ready for kelvin write another novel.